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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23528434">a girl in a garden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_muerta/pseuds/la_muerta'>la_muerta</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shadowhunter Bingo entries [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Shadowhunter Bingo 2019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:15:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23528434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_muerta/pseuds/la_muerta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>King Robert Lightwood has decreed that it is time for his eldest son to take a wife. Heart-weary on her brother’s behalf, Isabelle escapes into the palace gardens for a breath of fresh air, only to lose her own heart.</p><p>
  <i>For the Shadowhunter Bingo Square: <b>Marriage</b></i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shadowhunter Bingo entries [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>SHBingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a girl in a garden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div>
  <p>The palace is full of strangers. Their father has invited the noble families from all over the kingdom and foreign royalty to bring their daughters to a grand ball spanning three days on the pretext of "celebrating friendship", and everyone knows that at the end of it Alec is supposed to pick a girl to marry. Isabelle thinks it’s only thanks to their mother’s influence that Alec has any choice in the matter at all, that he hasn’t just been forced to marry someone their father has decided will give them the most political advantage. Alec has already spent the whole day trying to be civil to a few dozen girls that he definitely has no interest in, and Isabelle promised herself that she would be by her brother’s side to lend him her support, but it hurts to see the emptiness in his eyes and the way he's still trying so hard to put on a brave front. Isabelle knows he’s doing it for her sake too, so that she’ll have a chance to marry for love, which just makes it worse.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>When it finally gets too much for her and she knows she's going to make a scene if she stays there in the stuffy ballroom watching her brother dance with an endless queue of prospective wives, she excuses herself and flees into the back gardens. The sun is just setting on this long summer day, and the neatly-trimmed hedges and blooming rose bushes are bathed in dusky gold light. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Isabelle makes her way down the path as fast as she can without breaking into a run, to the grey stone wall right at the end and the little red door that opens to a small private garden. The door isn't locked and other people are allowed into the garden, but everyone in the palace knows it's Isabelle's. That's why it's allowed to grow wild and unchecked, filled with flowering weeds and poisonous plants - whatever catches Isabelle's fancy. Isabelle slips through the door and finds that there's already someone in her garden. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh! Lady Isabelle." The red-haired girl stands up hurriedly and curtsies. Her embroidered silk gown is fashionable and well-made, and even though a few tresses of her hair have fallen out of her up-do, she's clearly a nobleman's daughter, one of the girls who have come to try to catch Alec's eye. "The door was open, so I thought it would be alright for me to come in. I'm sorry for trespassing, I'll leave now."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No, it's alright. The garden is open to guests as well," Isabelle says, forcing a smile and attempting to keep up the role of the gracious host. "Has anything not been to your satisfaction? Or were you feeling unwell?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No, it's not that." She hesitates. "It's just that the prince looked so miserable. I'm hiding here so that he'll have one less person he has to pretend to enjoy dancing with."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Isabelle laughs, warming up to her immediately. "I'm sorry, there have been too many guests today and I'm afraid I didn't catch your name." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Just call me Clary," she replies with a smile. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>--</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>On the surface, they do not have very much in common. Clary enjoys painting and embroidery, while Isabelle enjoys horseback riding and sword-fighting. Clary isn't even of noble birth - she was a servant's daughter, adopted by her mother's employer when her mother died. Her guardian, Lord Fell, is known to be eccentric and reclusive, only tolerated because he is easily one of the wealthiest lords in the kingdom. It’s a surprise that he agreed to let Clary come at all, and she’s attending the ball in the company of Lord Fell’s friend, a foreign prince Isabelle only remembers because his official title had been very long and he’d winked at Alec when he noticed Alec trying not to react to King Robert struggling and failing to pronounce it. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Still, Clary is easy to talk to, and it’s so late when they finally emerge from the private garden that the lights in ballroom have been dimmed and the festivities for the day are already over. There are no lights in the garden, only the faint glow from the palace buildings providing a little light to see by and Clary stumbles on the unfamiliar path, so Isabelle takes her hand to steady her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thank you," Clary says, smiling shyly at her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Isabelle is sure she isn’t imagining the slight blush on Clary’s cheeks, and is struck by a sudden surprising thought: <em>Alec wouldn't kiss her, but I would. </em></p>
</div><div>
  <p>They hold hands all the way back to the palace. Isabelle hails one of the servants as they sneak in through the servants' door and requests that some food be sent to the drawing room in the wing she shares with Alec, since both she and Clary have missed dinner. She feels a bit bad about having abandoned Alec for most of the evening but he is probably exhausted and asleep after the long day; she can apologise and introduce Clary to him tomorrow. She should probably have knocked before opening the door.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Alec and the foreign prince who is supposed to chaperone Clary are standing by the window, drinks in hand. They are standing close enough that the tips of their shoes are almost touching, and Alec is laughing at something the prince said, but he takes a step away from him when the door opens. Alec looks panicky and flustered, as if Isabelle and Clary had caught them doing something inappropriate when they were probably just talking, as if enjoying the company of a handsome man is something to be guilty about. When is the last time she saw her brother laugh like that?</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Magnus!” Clary says in surprise. “What are you doing here?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I wanted to apologise properly to the prince for your mysterious disappearance and make up for the offence you may have caused,” Magnus replies smoothly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Isabelle sees his gaze move to Clary’s hand in hers, but she stands her ground and doesn’t let go. Magnus meets her eyes squarely and arches an eyebrow, then breaks into a wide grin. Isabelle realises that in that exact moment, she and Magnus have come up with the same solution to their little problem. Isabelle shuts the door behind her quickly; the servants will definitely knock when they arrive with their food, which should be any moment now.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“<em>Sampeyan Dalem ingkang Sinuhun Kanjeng Susuhunan Prabu Sri</em> Magnus Bane," Isabelle greets him with a curtsey, delighting Magnus by pronouncing his full title perfectly. "Will you and my brother allow us to join you?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Please do,” Magnus replies with a twinkle in his eye as he moves to pull out a chair for her. "I believe the four of us have a lot to talk about."</p>
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
</div>
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